Before we consider a positive work environment, let us first consider the negative work environment. The tell-tale signs are usually found within the staff who work for you. If they are unhappy, for whatever reason, it will begin to show in their behavior. They may become unproductive, turn up for work late, or not turn in at all. Quite often, this is because you, as the employer, are stressing out your employees, perhaps by imposing too many strict deadlines or not providing incentives to keep your staff motivated. The work environment will suffer, your staff will behave accordingly, and your business won't flourish as it might.

With the above in mind, how can you create a positive work environment? There are a couple of things you could do at the outset.

1. Bring in a consultancy team to assess business performance improvement. They will have the skill to spot problem areas and will suggest changes that can be made.

2. Ask for staff feedback. If you feel your staff are unhappy, there is no better way to find out why than by asking them yourself. This can be done anonymously through a survey if your staff don't want to discuss problems openly.

By doing both of those things, you will gain insight into what may be going wrong. If there are any pressing problems, get on top of them and make any changes necessary. To go a step further, you should actively take steps to create a positive work environment by focusing on the following.

1. Show gratitude for your team's efforts. They aren't mindless worker drones, so offering them some positive reinforcement through words and actions will motivate them to do well.

2. Offer an incentive for work well done. There are many ways you can reward your employees, from taking them out for a meal to letting them have an extra day off in the week.

3. Celebrate employee milestones, such as a birthday or a work anniversary. This will make the employee feel special, even if you do something as simple as pass a card around the office for everybody to sign.

4. Be a better boss. This means not berating them for small mistakes, not micromanaging their every move, and offering constructive criticism, rather than being overly-critical with no balance towards the positive.

5. Make practical changes around the workplace. This might include improving the employee break room, with new additions, such as a ping-pong table for their downtime. Giving the area a fresh lick of paint can create a more positive atmosphere, as can allowing your team to bring in personal items to jazz up their work areas.

6. Lead by example, exhibiting positive behavior in the hope that your employees will follow suit and do the same for each other. This includes showing random acts of kindness, speaking with positivity, and simply smiling at others.

By creating a positive work environment, you will improve your employee's morale, and as a consequence, strengthen your business. So, consider how this relates to you today. Are there problems in your work environment? Follow our advice if so, and improve everybody's day.